The use of local “spotters” is widespread among criminal gangs targeting farmyards for valuable equipment and machinery, a specialist detective has said.

On day two of Killarney’s spring meeting, Cape City Boy gets the nap to take the M D O’Shea Maiden Hurdle for Shark Hanlon and jockey Denis O’Regan.

Brian Wilmot bowled impressively to win the Denis ‘Sonny’ O’Donovan Cup final with almost a bowl to spare on Edmond Sexton at Ardcahan.

The Paul Kiely-trained Inchiquin High is developing into a competent point-to-point performer and the seven-year-old supplemented last month’s Killeagh success by landing a cracking mares’ winners of two at yesterday’s well-attended Knockanard fixture, run under the auspices of the Avondhu Foxhounds.

All roads led to Conna yesterday for the annual Tallow point-to-point meeting and Mulcahys Hill lit up the meeting by posting a scintillating frontrunning performance for the in-form Martin Hassett stable to claim victory in the four-year-old maiden.

Thomas Mackle is Ulster senior champion following a last shot win over his uncle, Martin Toal, at Port Mór-Blackwatertown.

The Munster senior championship will dominate bowling for the next few weeks, starting with both semi-finals at the weekend.

Catriona O’Farrell bowled impressively at Templemartin to secure her place in the Munster senior final with almost a bowl of odds on Emma Fitzpatrick.

The well-touted Father Frost swooped late to deny Frozen Lake in the Ticket Sales Online @corkracecourse.ie Maiden in Cork last night, completing a double for Aidan and Joseph O’Brien.

 

Crystal Pearl should be capable of giving Charles Byrnes his first success of 2015 in the opener on Cork’s Red FM Student Race Day at Cork racecourse in Mallow today.

It was a red-letter occasion for 20-year-old Johnny Hurley at yesterday’s Avondhu Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Knockanard for he rode his first winner aboard Jimmy Mangan’s Gabrielleamee in the closing six-year-old and upwards mares’ maiden.

What a impressive track.

Mesmerising. That’s really the only way that one could justifiably describe the performance of the Michael Winters-trained For Carmel at yesterday’s well-attended Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point fixture on Jack Murphy’s farm at Aghabullogue as the towering bay hardly broke sweat on his initial career outing in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

A former director of a Kerry plant hire and subcontracting company resigned because of his convictions for handling and possession for stolen vehicles, a court has heard.

Dermot Weld and Pat Smullen continued their terrific season when Edelmira landed the Group 3 Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Give Thanks Stakes at Cork last night.

PJ Cooney and Davey Fitzgerald had good wins in the Munster intermediate championship during a weekend packed with championship scores in all grades.

There were some shock results at yesterday’s well-attended United Hunt Club’s point-to-point fixture at Ballindenisk outside Watergrasshill.

The Hollinwell is developing into one of the very best point-to-pointers on the circuit and the British-bred recorded his fourth success of the season by destroying the opposition with his owner/trainer Eugene O’Sullivan’s 17-year-old son Eoin in the open lightweight at yesterday’s Duhallow Foxhounds Kildorrery fixture at Rockmills Stud.

The Denis Prendergast-trained newcomer Free Expression lit up yesterday’s Kanturk-Duhallow point-to-point at Dromahane by posting a terrific stamina-laden performance with Kevin Power to win a vintage second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The talented Bryan Copper gave the hitherto enigmatic Giantofaman a superb drive to land the Munster Maiden Hurdle at Thurles yesterday.

Michael Winters is experiencing a fine run at present and Missunited’s handler sent out two winners in his absence at yesterday’s well-attended Dungarvan Harriers point-to-point fixture at Affane.

The first point-to-point of the season in the Cork region took place on Saturday on the site of the Cork agricultural show at Curraheen.

The Dessie Hughes-trained White Star Line recorded a poignant victory in the Wilderness Chase in Clonmel yesterday.

Yesterday’s United Hunt Club’s point-to-point fixture at Bartlemy brought new meaning to the phrase marathon for there were no less than 11 races with proceedings concluding at 6.15pm, following a 1pm start.

The Eugene O’Sullivan-trained Pocket Reader showed that tenacity is his definite strong suit by winning the open lightweight at yesterday’s United Foxhounds point-to-point fixture at Ballindenisk.

It may have well happened that those in attendance at yesterday’s Muskerry Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Birch Hill witnessed the successful debut of a potential top-notch performer for Eugene O’Sullivan’s Shanahan’s Turn left many racegoers searching for previously unused superlatives following his stunning victory in the first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Call The Police justified short-priced favouritism in the featured Grade 3 Beamish Stout Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase at Thurles yesterday, but not before giving punters a fright.

Eugene O’Sullivan’s The Blarney Rose lit up yesterday’s extremely wet Boulta point-to-point fixture by destroying the opposition in the open lightweight.

On a miserably wet afternoon for all concerned, the Pat Doyle-trained Serious Mixture lit up yesterday’s Kilkenny Foxhounds point-to-point meeting at Grennan Castle outside Thomastown by recording a gallant pillar-to-post success in a competitive first division of the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

Kilavullen-based owner/trainer TJ Nagle appears to have an outstanding prospect on his hands in the form of Just A Par as the son of the Grand Lodge-sired stallion Island House destroyed the opposition under Richard O’Dea in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden at yesterday’s well-attended Galway Hunt point-to-point fixture at Dartfield outside Loughrea.

Ruby Walsh made a triumphant return to race-riding at Listowel yesterday, when driving long odds-on Rattan to a last-gasp success in the Kerrymaid Hurdle.

The North Kerry Harriers staged their annual Ballybunion point-to-point fixture on Saturday evening and Carrigtwohill owner/trainer Don Browne’s Cloneen Storm (11/10) lit up the seven-race session for many by registering a gallant front-running success under a well-judged ride from James Hannon in the open lightweight.

The Robert Tyner-trained Embracing Change is virtually unbeatable at Dromahane and the seven-year-old recorded his fifth victory at the popular north Cork venue at yesterday’s Kanturk – Duhallow meeting by destroying the opposition in a vintage renewal of the open.

The centralisation of cancer care since 2006 has improved outcomes for patients but many challenges remain, writes Claire O’Sullivan

QUARRYVALE, trained by Jimmy Mangan and partnered by his son, Patrick, ran her rivals ragged in the Tote Placepot Races 1 To 6 Chase at Thurles yesterday.

AS Willie Mullins makes his way to Thurles today it will surely cross his mind that he has real possibilities in six of the seven races, the exception being the Bumper.

Ground conditions were extremely demanding at yesterday’s Pigeon Hill & Carrigtwohill point-to-point fixture, but Croom-based civil engineer Fergus O’Connor was still the happiest individual at the Clyduff venue as he recorded his fourth career success by guiding his wife Irene Walsh’s Pocket Reader (10/1) to a popular success in the Winners’ Of One.

NOTHING quite beats winning at home and Richard Hennessy did precisely that when recording his initial career two-timer at yesterday’s Killeagh Harriers point-to-point meeting for the fixture was staged on his father Joe’s farm at Knockane outside Killeagh.

CAPTAIN PAULIE, disappointing at Wexford previously, was back on track in the Munster Waste Management Handicap Hurdle at a packed Cork yesterday.

TEAGASC has made an important step in the battle to protect Irish cereal crops against disease.